Monticello & Rivanna

Description

Thomas Jefferson’s home at Monticello serves as the perfect entry point for wildlife watching around the forward-thinking community of Charlottesville. Starting at Monticello, it is possible to explore the entire town through forests and along rivers, walking an almost unbroken trail. At the heart of this trail system is the Rivanna Trail, which encircles the city, passing through many of its parks and providing the ideal way to explore the many great areas along the Rivanna River all the way down to the Fluvanna Heritage Trail. As you walk the trails, look for indigo buntings in the overgrown fields and listen for yellow-billed cuckoos in the canopy. Keep your eyes and ears open because you never know when a belted kingfisher is going to go rattling downstream or when a black-throated blue warbler will hop out of the underbrush to chip at you. So, stay alert and enjoy what surprises you may find.